A complaint filed by the Gono Odhikar Parishad against 150 individuals, including Jatiya Party (JaPa) Chairman GM Quader and General Secretary Shamim Haider Patwary, has not yet been recorded as a case—three days after its submission.
Akhtaruzzaman Samrat, Central Organising Secretary of the Bangladesh Chhatra Odhikar Parishad, lodged the complaint with Ramna Model Police Station on Tuesday afternoon, alleging that JaPa leaders and activists attacked a Gono Odhikar Parishad procession with the intent to kill.
However, Ramna police have yet to register the case, raising questions in political circles. Analysts are debating whether the delay stems from political pressure or other reasons.
In recent months, several political groups have called for JaPa’s ban, but the BNP has opposed such moves. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed have warned against any executive order to outlaw a political party, insisting the BNP would resist it.
Yet BNP—now considered the largest party in Bangladesh—had previously supported banning the activities of the Awami League and its student wing, the Bangladesh Chhatra League.
Analysts suggest BNP may want JaPa to remain in the political arena to secure strategic advantages in the coming election. They argue BNP might be signalling to the government not to persecute JaPa leaders.
Mirza Fakhrul dismissed such claims, saying: “We do not know who filed complaints or where, and we have no comments on it. But our stance is clear: BNP is against banning any political party.”
Abdul Latif Masum, former professor of Government and Politics at Jahangirnagar University, told TIMES of Bangladesh: “Strategically, BNP might want JaPa to contest the election, as this could work to their advantage. It is a logical position—banning another party, particularly after the ban on activities of the former ruling party [AL], may trigger dissatisfaction in Western countries and India, who could raise concerns if the elections are not participatory.”
Asked why the case had not been filed, Ramna Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Golam Faruk shifted responsibility, saying neither the complainant nor anyone from Gono Odhikar Parishad had followed up after submitting the complaint. “Therefore, no case has been registered as of now,” he said.
Samrat, however, accused Ramna police of raising jurisdictional objections when he went to file the complaint. “The complaint was accepted, but the case was never registered,” he alleged. He also claimed to have received threats and abusive calls from unknown numbers since filing. He warned that Gono Odhikar Parishad lawyers would take the matter to court if the police continued to delay.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Ramna Division) Mohammad Masud Alam confirmed two complaints were lodged against JaPa leaders and activists—one by Samrat and another by the Gono Odhikar Lawyers’ Parishad. “Both complaints are pending and under inquiry,” he told Times of Bangladesh, denying any political pressure.
On 29 August, clashes broke out between Gono Odhikar Parishad and JaPa activists in front of JaPa’s central office in Kakrail, leaving Gono Odhikar chief Nurul Haque Nur and several others injured. The violence escalated into two rounds of attacks, vandalism, and arson at JaPa’s Topkhana Road office.
Later, Samrat, a leader of Gono Odhikar’s student wing, filed a complaint against JaPa, accusing the government of inaction. A judicial commission was eventually formed three days after the attacks.
